Responding to these vile charges, conservative television pundits think it’s a great comeback to say:

“There is the fringe on both sides.”

Both sides? Really? How about: “That’s a complete lie”? Did that occur to you simpering morons as a possible reply to the slanderous claim that conservatives are fiery racists?

The most notorious accusations of “racism” at anti-Obama rallies so far has consisted of the allegation that one black congressman was spat on and another called the N-word 15 times at an anti-ObamaCare rally on Capitol Hill last March.

The particularly sensitive Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., perhaps walking too closely to a protester chanting “Kill the Bill,” was hit with some spittle — and briefly thought he was a Freedom Rider! When observers contested Cleaver’s account — with massive video evidence — he walked back his claim of being spat upon.

The slanderous claim that a protester called the civil rights hero John Lewis the N-word 15 times was an outrageous lie — never made by Lewis himself — but promoted endlessly by teary-eyed reporters, most of whom cannot count to 15.

PBS: As part of a look at how both political parties are connecting with constituents on the Web, Ray Suarez reports on how Republicans and their allies are looking to harness new media in advance of this year’s elections.